Philippines on guard against child trafficking post typhoon: Government

Children carrying signs for aid trucks run on the main eastern Samar costal road in the village of Mercedes near the regional Pacific coastal town of Guiuan on Nov 20, 2013. The Philippines is acting to curb the trafficking of children displaced by Super Typhoon Haiyan, a presidential spokesman said on Sunday, a day after a UK-based children's charity raised concerns. -- FILE PHOTO: REUTERS

MANILA (AFP) - The Philippines is acting to curb the trafficking of children displaced by Super Typhoon Haiyan, a presidential spokesman said on Sunday, a day after a UK-based children's charity raised concerns.

Plan International asked the Philippines to investigate the suspected recruitment of child workers for sex trafficking on the central island of Samar, which sustained heavy damage and casualties in the November 8 typhoon.

Haiyan left nearly 8,000 people dead or missing in one of the worst natural disasters to hit the Philippines, flattening entire towns and displacing more than four million people.

A special anti-trafficking commission is already in place to prevent children displaced by the typhoon from being exploited by traffickers, said Herminio Coloma, a spokesman for President Benigno Aquino.